VALLEJO, CA, September 23, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Maritza Meza has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Maritza established a distinguished career in the psychology field, marked by a decade of dedicated expertise in trauma across the justice system, foster services and dual diagnosis cases. Since 2025, she has served as a therapist and compliance auditor for Contra Costa County. In this capacity, Maritza conducts comprehensive compliance audits for the county which consists of overseeing about 32 programs to ensure adherence to state regulations. Her responsibilities include auditing staff files, policy manuals, reviewing charts and drafting quality improvement plans or reports for state review. She actively participates in state audits and unscheduled visits. For programs she does not audit, she provides clinical counseling consultations and offers insights during case presentations. Maritza reviews assessments to confirm medical necessity for treatment, determines proper level of care, attends quality assurance meetings and collaborates with county-operated clinics for both adults as well as children or families. The programs she provides consultations or reviews of assessments are: Discovery House, a Hispanic outpatient program, and the county clinics (both adults, children and families).

Maritza also works as a therapist at Discovery House, a dual diagnosis crisis residential facility. She provides therapeutic support to individuals facing co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges. Her work at Discovery House further solidified her reputation as an expert in dual diagnosis cases. She works with the forensics population. Maritza also displays a lens of trauma or culturally informed care by providing consultations to a Hispanic outpatient program.

In addition to her primary roles, Maritza volunteers her expertise as a translator for a community-based organization. She translates in vivo, documents and audio materials for underfunded communities within the legal realm. She also supports trauma survivors through her involvement with a trauma-focused organization.

Last year, Maritza served as an Advanced Care Treatment Specialist within the federal prison system. Her contributions were recognized with an award in 2024, reflecting her commitment to being of service in correctional settings.

Earlier in her career, Maritza was a therapist for a county diversion program serving community members involved with the justice system. In this role, she provided counseling services designed to reduce recidivism and support individuals navigating systems. She also worked with federal pre-trial and probation cases alongside U.S. Pre-trial and Probation services.

Significant academic achievements underscore Maritza's professional journey. In 2020, she earned a master's degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University in Irvine. As a first-generation student whose parents migrated from other parts of the world and were unfamiliar with the educational system, Maritza displayed perserverance and strong work ethic to achieve this milestone. She balanced multiple jobs while attending evening classes from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., demonstrating exceptional work ethic and dedication.

Her academic journey began with an Associates degree in Social Sciences and self-development from Fullerton College in 2014 followed by a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of La Verne in Pomona in 2016. These educational experiences shaped her passion for mental health advocacy, culturally competent and trauma-informed care.

Maritza holds licensure as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist through the Board of Behavioral Sciences. Attaining this credential required completion of a one-year internship, and accumulation of 3,000 hours of supervised experience. Maritza submitted 5,500 hours in total. The process to licensure included various domains such as: documentation, trainings, direct services, successful passage of both law and ethics as well as clinical examinations.

Throughout her career, Maritza has been an active member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, reflecting her commitment to ongoing professional development as well as the law and ethics of the field. She often attends various trainings on a variety of domains. She enjoys learning and expanding her skills.

Maritza achievements have been recognized through several awards including the Programming Award from the federal prison system in 2024. She played basketball at the high school then at the college level, which led to awards like: Most Inspirational Player, Most Valuable Player, and First Team All-League two years in a row which are testaments to her leadership qualities and impact across diverse settings. Her Senior year of High School, she shattered the three-pointer shooting record and came second in the county in three pointers. She was featured in news articles for basketball events like Dribble for the Cure.

Born in Orange County, Maritza draws inspiration from personal experiences growing up in a single-parent household as a first-generation Hispanic facing systemic barriers. These formative years instilled resilience and empathy that continue to inform her work with trauma survivors often affected by child abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking and involvement with the justice system.

She attributes much of her success to mentors who guided at pivotal moments and expresses deep gratitude for their belief in her potential. Above all, Maritza credits her mother as a strong or resilient role model for teaching her the value of hard work and perseverance in the face of adversity.

Outside of her professional commitments, Maritza enjoys several practices including: yoga, mindfulness exercises, spending time immersed in nature like visiting beaches and exploring forests. She is passionate about creative pursuits such learning new art techniques through acrylics or oil paintings and photography.

Looking ahead, Maritza aspires to author a book chronicling her life experiences to inspire others striving toward their goals through determination and effort. She seeks opportunities to return to federal service; particularly, within agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations to help with the mission of protecting communities and restoring justice where it was lost. Additionally, she hopes to teach courses at community colleges or universities while continuing her volunteer efforts within local organizations.

Maritza career reflects unwavering dedication to advancing mental health care for vulnerable populations while championing education, advocacy and community service throughout every stage of her journey.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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